Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
The present invention relates to a system suitable for dispensing a fluid, which may be a liquid medicine, to an infant.
Designs have been proposed for a fluid administration system or medicine dispenser for use with infants. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,772,685, 5,601,605, and 6,110,193, and European patent application Publication No. 0 681 824 A1. While such designs provide certain useful features, it would be desirable to provide an improved fluid dispenser which could be more easily manufactured, which would provide additional benefits to the user, which could accommodate additional desirable features, and which could be incorporated in a relatively low-cost product.
It would be desirable to provide a design which could be incorporated in a product having a minimum number of separate pieces or components requiring assembly.
It would also be beneficial if a product with such an improved design could be easily operated by a person administering fluid to an infant. Such an improved design should readily accommodate opening of the dispenser, filling of the dispenser with the desired amount of fluid, and closing of the dispenser.
It would also be beneficial if an improved dispenser could be provided with means for holding the dispenser in a closed, dispensing configuration as well as with means for maintaining the dispenser in an open configuration to accommodate filling with a fluid to be dispensed.
It would also be advantageous if an improved infant fluid dispenser could be designed to be used by an infant in a way that would not obstruct the infant""s breathing.
It would also be desirable to provide an improved infant fluid dispenser which would incorporate features for aligning portions of the dispenser when it is moved from an open, fluid-filling configuration to a closed configuration.
Additionally, it would be beneficial if an improved infant fluid dispenser could accommodate a configuration which would allow the dispenser to be positioned in an upright, storage position on a support surface. This may have the additional benefit of reducing the likelihood of contamination of surfaces that contact the infant""s mouth.
Also, it would be desirable to provide an improved infant fluid dispenser which would eliminate, or at least minimize, the likelihood of the dispenser, or separate parts thereof, being swallowed or otherwise posing a choking hazard to an infant.
Further, it would be desirable if such an improved dispenser could accommodate efficient, high-quality, high-speed, large-volume manufacturing techniques with a reduced product reject rate to produce a dispenser with consistent operating characteristics unit-to-unit.
The present invention provides an improved infant fluid dispenser which can accommodate designs having the above-discussed benefits and features.
The present invention provides an infant fluid dispenser that is assembled from a minimum number of components. Each component by itself, as well as the completely assembled dispenser, cannot be swallowed by an infant and does not pose a choking hazard for the infant. In the preferred embodiment, the dispenser includes only two unitary components that are assembled together: a fluid containment unit and a support unit.
In the preferred embodiment, the fluid containment unit is a completely flexible, deformable structure preferably molded from silicone. The fluid containment unit includes (1) a bulb having a discharge opening, (2) a nipple having (a) an inlet opening, and (b) a dispensing orifice, and (3) a tether connecting the bulb with the nipple to accommodate (a) an unfolded configuration allowing access to the interior of the bulb for filling the bulb with fluid, and (b) a folded configuration locating the bulb discharge opening in communication with the nipple inlet opening.
The support unit includes (1) a face plate from which the nipple can project, (2) a retaining ring from which the bulb can project, and (3) a releasable latch for securing the face plate and retainer ring together to clamp between them the fluid containment unit when the fluid containment unit is in the folded configuration. In the preferred form, the support unit is a generally rigid, molded thermoplastic structure.
In the preferred embodiment, the fluid containment unit has a size which is sufficiently large with respect to the infant""s mouth and throat to prevent the fluid containment unit from being swallowed by the infant when the fluid containment unit is separated from the support unit and is either in the unfolded configuration or in the folded configuration.
Also, in the preferred embodiment, a hinge is provided in the support unit for connecting the face plate and retainer ring. Preferably, the releasable latch for securing the face plate and retainer ring together is located about 180xc2x0 from the hinge and is defined solely by a portion of the face plate and a portion of the retainer ring which together form a releasable snap-fit engagement. In the most preferred form of the latch, the face plate includes a resilient tab having (1) a projecting shoulder, and (2) a tapered surface, and the retainer ring has (1) a guide surface for engaging the tapered surface, and (2) an abutment surface for confronting the shoulder to latch the face plate and retainer ring together.
In the preferred embodiment, additional features are incorporated, including (1) an annular plug seal at the nipple inlet opening for being sealingly received in the bulb discharge opening, (2) sufficient resiliency in the tether so as to exert at least a small force tending to urge the bulb away from the nipple when the support unit is not closed to clamp the fluid containment unit in the folded configuration, (3) a ventilation aperture in the face plate outwardly of the nipple to admit air to the region adjacent the nose of the infant, (4) an exterior surface portion on the end of the bulb for supporting the dispenser on a flat surface, (5) posts on the support unit face plate, and corresponding apertures in the fluid containment unit for effecting an interference engagement to assist in retaining the fluid containment unit adjacent the support unit, (6) a central opening in the face plate for receiving the nipple, (7) a central opening in the retainer ring for receiving the bulb, and (8) a connection between the support unit face plate and support unit retainer ring comprising two, spaced-apart film hinges between which the fluid containment unit tether can be located.
In another embodiment, the fluid dispenser is made in three pieces or parts. A nipple is provided with an inlet opening and a the dispensing orifice. A face plate is provided for engaging a portion of the nipple from which the nipple can project. The dispenser also includes a retainer ring and a bulb having a discharge opening. The bulb is non-removably attached to the retainer to allow access to the interior of the bulb for filling the bulb with fluid. Preferably, the bulb is bi-injection molded onto the retainer ring. The bi-injection molding of the bulb to the retainer ring provides a single, integral piece or structure. Other forms of permanent attachment could be employed. However, bi-injection molding is a contemplated preferred form of permanent attachment where the retainer ring is molded from a thermoplastic material and where the bulb is molded from an elastomer, such as silicone. The fluid dispenser also includes a releasable latch for securing the face plate and retainer ring together to clamp between them the nipple in an orientation with the nipple inlet opening in communication with the bulb discharge opening. Preferably, in this three-piece embodiment, each of the three pieces is large enough so that it cannot be swallowed by an infant so as to cause choking.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.